Cuts in headcount are too often made with short term goals in mind. Somehow those with traditional management views consider this among the easier tacts to take when looking at cutting costs. I will grant them that it is one of the faster solutions in that regard. I would hope that these layoffs represent a last resort for Levis Strauss. I imagine that if they are truly experiencing a glut in headcount, it was driven by operational dysfunction that was seen (yes, it was seen and felt for that matter) and neglected for far too long. 

Read about these layoffs HERE